H.B. on track for summer bus system
The Huntington Beach City Council on Monday authorized plans to develop a summertime bus system in areas popular with tourists and approved the purchase of a replacement fire engine and an additional ambulance.
The council also took a step toward completing the Edinger Avenue widening project to improve traffic flow.
The council unanimously passed the bus plan, which would be free to passengers as it follows a 15.4-mile route that includes the Bella Terra shopping center, the Oak View neighborhood, Central Park, the Pacific City development and coastal parts of the downtown area.
The system, which could cost as much as $1 million to develop, according to a city manager’s report, would supplement existing Orange County Transporation Authority service during the peak tourist season. The OCTA would provide $917,770 for the project. The rest of the cost would be funded by the city and a $12,000 donation from Visit HB, a tourist information center.
New firetruck
The council also approved on a 5-2 vote the purchase of a new diesel fire engine to replace an older vehicle and also to add a new ambulance. Council members Erik Peterson and Lyn Semeta dissented.
The older engine was purchased in 1996 and rebuilt in 2001, according to a city manager’s report. It has clocked 155,584 miles, a staff report says.
The two vehicles are expected to cost up to $1.1 million, the report says.
“Ultimately, older apparatus are less dependable, and the reliability of this fire engine is critical to public and fire personnel safety,” the report says.
Still, Semeta and Peterson expressed concerns about the immediate need for a new fire engine.
“I have one in the parking lot,” Peterson said, referring to the diesel engine in his personal vehicle, “and it has 375,000 miles on it and it still goes. Can this be delayed? It is a huge bill.”
Fire Chief David Segura responded that the average lifespan of a fire engine, based on his experience, is 15 to 18 years, so the department is in line with other agencies.
The slightest breakdown with the vehicle may be inexpensive to repair but “can be critical for our operations,” said Segura, noting that in emergencies, every second counts, and updated equipment is key to good response times.
Segura also told the council that the department is going to need to replace three other engines in the next few years, so it’s better not to push this cost to the future.
“My concern is we have so many expenses in this city, and this is a huge expense,” Semeta said. “Of course, safety is very important to me and the Fire Department. But that’s my concern if we are going to continue having large expenses in this area, then it takes away from something else.”
The city has eight fire stations with one engine at each, according to the Huntington Beach Firefighters Assn.
Widening of Edinger Avenue
The council also unanimously voted to enter an agreement with Peter Chamie to use a 168-square-foot parcel of his land at 7900 Edinger Ave., currently a sidewalk and landscaped area, to aid in widening Edinger Avenue. The easement will cost $15,200 and an additional $2,500 in escrow fees, a city manager’s report says.
The project, approved in 2015, calls for widening the southbound side of the street, between Parkside Lane and Beach Boulevard, and lengthening the right-turn lane on Beach and Parkside.
According to the report, the project will ease longstanding traffic problems on the typically busy street.
It is expected to cost about $600,000 and take about six months to complete, city spokeswoman Julie Toledo said.
The city will open bidding for the project this week, and a contractor should be chosen in March, Toledo said.
Twitter: @benbrazilpilot
